This past Saturday (1.23.16) was one of those weekends where my kids will look back on when they are older, and say yeap, I remember Jonas, the Blizzard of 2016. To be honest, with our inconsistent forecasts especially the “blizzard bust” last year, I was skeptical if we would even see more than 4-5 inches. Naturally, this storm packed a punch, and I do love a good snow day, especially when there’s no where to be. It brings back tons of childhood memories of the endless snow play, and I want my kids to make similar memories.
Early Friday was spent stocking up on food and running errands to ensure we would be fully prepared for a weekend of hunkering down. Whenever a big snowfall is forecasted, I use the time in the house as an opportunity to try new recipes and make fun things for kids. On the way home from school on Friday, the kids were excited about our potential snow storm. When we walked in our home, they pulled out our trusty sleigh, which lives stuffed behind our couch for the past three years. Snow boots, gloves, jackets and snow pants were standing by, and I tried not to get stuck to the TV watching news, as it stirs up too much panic, especially when they started to say expect flooding like Hurricane Sandy. As a result of the forecast, Jason’s flight home was canceled, so it was just me and kiddies for the rest of the weekend.
On Saturday, we woke up to the snow falling. At first, it didnt look like much, but as the day progressed, the snow just continued to dump buckets on New York City, continuing well into the evening, and after we had gone to bed. With 26.8 inches falling near us, it marked the second largest snowstorm in NYC history. We were only 1/10th of an inch shy of the record in 2006, which I remember vividly, as I was still working in the showroom, and I had no choice but to go to work for fashion week, navigating huge mounds of snow and slushy puddles.
Around noon, I bundled and layered the kids for an outdoor adventure. The snow was still coming down so hard and combined with the wind gusts, it was actually difficult to walk. Ryder and Siella were diving in every snow pile we passed, and Gemma was just an absolute mess, falling every step of the way. After a quick romp, we headed back into the warmth. We tried another trek around 4pm, but with the continued heavy snowfall, this excursion was also short lived. With some snow angels, and a small snowman, the kids were freezing. I promised them more time in the snow the next day, and we headed inside. At home, we watched plenty of movies, popped popcorn, drank hot coco, and I cooked individual chicken pot pies, along with cookies and brownies for dessert.
The following morning we went back out; this time with our sleigh and snowball maker. The sun was shining, the wind died down, and the temps were higher. Behind our apartment, there was tons a pure white fresh fluffy snow, completely untouched. They played for hours, sledding down hills, and even stair cases, until their little feet were like frozen icicles.
While the weekend seemed to last forever be on repeat from the constant indoor, outdoor, gear on, gear off, and this mama had zero break, the memory of the fun and their giggles will be cherished forever. Here’s to the Blizzard of 2016!
